What’s Up With Pregnancy Mood Swings?

We’ve always believed that mild mood swings are normal in pregnancy and that they go away on their own when the baby is born. But for some women, it’s more than a mood swing.

Sometimes it’s more than a mood swing

Yes, there are emotional ups and downs in pregnancy. And yes, this is normal. After all, it is a time of change and change can be hard. But for every four women, one will experience something that is more than a mood swing – depression or anxiety.

Depression and anxiety often start in pregnancy and carry on after the baby is born. In fact, most women with postpartum depression (50-80%), had symptoms of depression or anxiety first when they were pregnant.

The problem is that many women with depression or anxiety believe it is simply a mood swing.

Here are 4 consequences of this belief:

They believe their mood will get better on its own.

They don’t mention their concerns to their doctor.

They don’t get the support they need to manage their symptoms.

Their symptoms may get worse over time so that they feel more depressed, worried, or anxious.

It’s common – and it’s confusing

We’ve found that over 75% of women feel confused by mood swings. They don’t know whether their emotions are normal or not for pregnancy, and they worry about missing something that might harm their baby.

Plus, depression and anxiety can range from mild to severe. At low levels, they can look a lot like a mood swing.